Aerating apparatus



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. E. STARK AERATING APPARATUS Filed July 24. 1935 March 23, 1937.

WITNESSE 5 March 23, 1937. Rl. E. STARK AERATIING APPARATUS s sheets-sheet 2 Filed July 24, 1955 WITNESSES @3d/1Ma- March 23, 1937. R. E. sTARK v AERATING APPARATUS Filed July 24, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patentl Mu. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES AEMTING APPARATUS Rawson E. Stark, Pittsburgh,

Manufacturing Hobart a corporation of Ohio Pa., amlgnor to The Company, Troy. Ohio,

kApplication July 24, 1933, Serial No. 631.972

Germany 23 Clalnu.

' This invention relates generally to a porous wall structure and more particularly to a structure of the type commonly used in the bottoms of aerating devices, although, as will be obvious from the following description, it may be employed for numerous and various other purposes.

The primary object of the invention, generally stated, is to provide a wall structure of the nature referred to which is exceedingly simple and sturdy of construction and in which the cross sectional area and number oi pores are accurately determined.

Another object is to provide a composite wall structure oi' the above-noted character which is so constructed as to permit its being easily and eectively cleaned whereby it may be readily maintained in an operative and sanitary condition.

A further object is to provide a structure having the above-noted characteristics which may be manufactured with relatively little dimculty and expense and placed on the market at a comparatively low cost.

These and various other objects as well as the numerous other novel features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which,-

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of an aerating device employed for producing whipped cream and the like, in which an embodiment of the invention is illustrated as comprising a porous lter or air dispersing wall in the bottom of the cream container;

Pig. 2 is a view to enlarged scale of the invention as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the larger discs comprising the composite structure shown in Fig. 2;

Pig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of one of the smaller discs:

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the disc shown in Fig. 4 assembled upon the one shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of disc;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of another form 0f the invention;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a still further modiiication of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a view of a modiiled aerating device; and

Fig. 10 is a section thereof.

This application is a continuation-in-part of nw copending application Serial No.I 583,129 led December 24. 1931 and asigned to the same assignee as this application. v

December 9, 1932 'lhe invention to date has been developed more particularly in conjunction with the development of a new type of cream whipping machine which has recently been placed on the market. For that reason to illustrate one of its more special uses, it is illustrated and described here in connection with its use in such a machine.

Referring to Fig. l an aerating machine of the character referred to is illustrated as comprising a tank I which is detachably mounted upon a base 2. In tank I adjacent its bottom 3 there is provided a porous wail I through which air is forced into the cream which is placed in the tank for whipping. To provide a seal about the edges of the wall, and a pressure chamber 20 below it. a rubber gasket l is mounted between it and the bottom 3 of the tank.

IIn the particular machine shown, wall 4 is constructed in accordance with this invention, and ismade up of a plurality of flat discs 8, the details of which will .be presently described. These discs are all held in place by a plug 1 which is passed through holes formed in their centers and threaded into an opening 9 formed in bottom 3 oi' tank I, the plug being provided with a shoulder Il at its upper end which is adapted to cover holes I and bear against the top of the upper disc, thereby forcing the wall tightly in place when the plug is screwed down.

'Ihe air pressure for the machine is supplied by a compressor II which is mounted in base 2 together with a motor I2 byl which it is operated. The outlet of this compressor is connected by a tube I3 to communicate with a hollow gasket I4 mounted in the top of base 2 in which the end of plug I is adapted to t when tank I with disc 4 in it is in place. To conduct the air from gasket Il to pressure chamber 2l a bore I5 is provided in plug 1 and to prevent plug 1 obstructing the flow from holes l through the discs I these holes are made larger than the diameter of the plug, the discs themselves having pore-forming channels II provided in their surfaces for conducting the air to their outer edges as defined more in detan hereinafter. To also insure the discs being in surface-to-surface contact so that the pores will more deiinitely determine the ilow of the air, they are preferably made suiliciently ilexible so that they may be exed together as shown more particularly in Fig. 3 when plug 1 is screwed to place in such a way as to minimize the eifect of distortions on them which may otherwise throw them apart.

To best understand the nature of the invention.

reference may be had to the requirements placed uponwalllreferredtoabove. 'Dobellnwitlnit must haveaporositywhichwillpermittheairto bepassedthroughitinonlyveryminute streams andinsuchawaythatitwillenterthecreamonly as very small bubbles, the force back of them being insuiiici'ent to carry them tln'ough the cream.asitisessentialthattheairbe entrapped in the body of the cream in minute quantities rather than be permitted to pass completely through it. This necessitates the pores of the wall beingofaveryflnecrosssectional area. It isalso necessary or desirable that the pores offer a suiiicient resistance to the back now of the cream contained in the tank as to prevent or substantially prevent it. either in its natural or whipped state, yfrom nowlng downwardly into the bottom of the tank when the air pressure supplied by the compressor is turned 'on'. This necessitates that they be sumciently long as well as small to offer a suillcient resistance to a flow through them to meet such requirement. In addition it is highly desirable that the wall be susceptible of being easily and effectively cleaned so that the accumu- 5 lation of lth and undesirable odors may be easily avoided, as well as the pores prevented from becoming clogged so as to impair or interfere with the flmctioning of the wall. Furthermore, it must have suilicient strength to stand up in service 3 under the treatment to wmsh 1t is subjected.

To satisfy the aforementioned requirements, in accordance with this invention. a porous wall is provided which, as illustrated in its preferred form for this special use more particularly in Figs. 2, 3. 4 and 5, comprises a plurality of dat metal or other suitable discs mounted one upon the top of the other. To permit a flow between these discs from their bottoms upward. an opening l is provided at the center of each which is sufficiently 4 larger thanthe plug l by which they are held together to form a pressure chamber at their inner edges, and grooves or channels Il running from the opening t to the outer edge of the plates are provided on at least one surface of each disc. Hence, when the discs are assembled one on top of the other, these channels form pores extending between the inner and outer edges of the discs, the sine of the pores being determined by the cross sectional area of the grooves or channels Il, the capacity of the wall by theirv number.

In a cream whipping device such as that referred to herei'nbefore it is desirable that the whipping air be admitted to the cream as uniformly as 55 possible over the entire bottom of the body of cream. For this reason the various discs comprising the wall structure are made in diminishing diametersto formawallinthe shapeofacone whereby. as the respective pores terminate at the 60 edge of each disc, the passing of air through the walls is distributed substantially unii'onn over the entire upper area of the composite wall surface.

In order to facilitate the assembly of the discs or in other words to make them reversible so that it will not make any difference which side of them is up or down when the wall is assembled, they may be provided with pore forming grooves Il on, both of their faces. To prevent the pores on ad;

7o jacent discs coinciding over their length the grooves il may be out on an angle to a line ex tended through the center of each disc, as shown.-

Hence, when two of the discs are placed on top thefaceofthenextadiacentdiscwillcrosseach other rather than extend in the same direction.

A further feature of the invention is the provision at the center of each disc on its upper and lower surfaces of a cut away portion I'I which 5 forms a sort of manifold that tends to equalize and aid the distribution of flow through the structure. 'I'his also increases the area of the metal at the inner edge of the disc where the grooves Il terminate and permits the provision of a greater l0 number of such grooves without their overlapping each other. To increase the strength of this manifold, sections i8 of the disc body may be retained inr this area. In the larger discs the number of grooves Il is further increased by providing 15 a secondary or auxiliary circular manifold groove I9 which is arranged midway between the edge of manifold I1 and the edge of the disc and in which the outer end of the radial grooves terminate as well as the inner ends of a greater num- 20 ber of outer grooves lla, as shown in Figs. 3 and I5.A

To facilitate the cleaning ,of the discs when used in the manner referred to a nut 2| is provided on plug 'I sufficiently below the lowermost disc so that when the plug is removed from the bottom of the tank the plates may all be swlshed about at the same time in a cleaning fluid by using the plug as a handle, the play between the plates and the nut permitting them to flop about sufficiently to let the cleaning fluid flow between them" 3 to thoroughly clean them.

It is appreciated that various other pore forming arrangements may be employed on the surfaces of the wall-forming plates. For example. as is shown in Fig. 6, a. system of pore forming grooves lb may be cross-hatched on the opposite surfacesof the plates Il.

Referring to Fig. 8 the invention may also be' practiced by providing a structure consisting of a plurality of plates 25 between which there are 40 arranged sheets of woven mesh 2| to provide the air passages. In such a structure, as will be understood, the pore capacity w'ill vary with the size of the mesh. A

Nor is it essential that the plates have any partlcular shape or form, for example, they may be made and assembled in the manner shown in Fig. 7 in which they form a porous cylinder, or they may be assembled in any other desirable fashion. It will also be obvious that the assembly of the unit may be effected in various other ways than that illustrated and shown here which constitutes only a teaching of the invention in its broader aspect.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated 56 in Figures 9 and` 10. In this arrangement a base plate or supporting disc Il is provided which carries a. compound porous wall structure. The plate or disc 30 is adapted to be mounted at the bottom of the tank on a gasket I1, and is provided so with a central hole 3| and a plurality of radially spaced holes 32 through which air from the pressure chamber beneath the disc 30 can pass. Theporous wall structure for dispersing the air comprises a plurality of discs 33. These discs 3l are 65 lmounted adjacent the holes Il and Il, being equipped at their two sides with grooves ll and a manifold portion 38 adjacent their centers.'

To hold the discs 3l in position adjacent the holes l2, washers 31 are placed on top of them and per- 70 forated pins 3l are projected through them and through the holes 82 which pins Il are held in place by nuts I9, the pins having ducts III in'them which extend into and communicate with the. holes I2. VIn the central hole Il theassembly is similar to that at the outer holes 32 except that a plug Il is provided which is used for securing the whole assembly to the base l5 of the tank. This plug is provided with threads I2 which engage 5 in a boss u and is equipped with a stop Il similar to the stop 2| shown in Figures 1 and 2. 'I'he disks 33 can be cleaned by loosening pins 3l `and central plug 4i. Instead of a single disk 33 adjacent each hole as shown in Figures 9 and 10, a l plurality of superimposed discs may be used, similar to those shown in Figures l and 2. Also the discs themselves may be constructed in accordance with any of the forms illustrated in Figures 3 to 8. l To sum up the advantage of the invention, it

provides a porous wall structure which is extremely simple and sturdy of construction and in which the size and number of the pores, or in other words the capacity of the structure is accurately determinable. Furthermore, it provides a structure of a composite nature which is easy to clean and maintain in an operative and sanitary condition.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

What is claimed ls:- l. A perforate structure comprising a plurality of plates arranged in surface-to-surface contact, each plate having an opening in its interior communlcating with that of the next adjacent plate, and a portion of its surface adjacent said opening cut away to form a manifold chamber with the next adjacent plate, and a series of angularly spaced grooves extending in radial relation from said manifold chamber to an annular groove radially spaced from said opening and a second series of grooves extending in radial fashion from said annular groove to the outer edge of the plate. 45 2. A perforate structure built up of a plurality of substantially circular discs of diminishing diameters mounted one on top of the other in the form of a cone, said discs each having a hole in the center thereof and a portion of its surface surrounding said hole cut away to form a manifold chamber with the next adjacent disc and a system of pore-forming channels in its surface extending from said cut away portion to its outer edge, and means for detachably holding said disks in surface-to-surface contact and providing for the ready separation thereof for purposes of cleaning said pore-forming channels.

3. A perforate structure comprising a plurality of substantially circular discs of diminishing diameters mounted one on top of the other in the form of a cone, said discs each having a hole in its center, a portion of their surface adjacent said hole cut away to form a manifold chamber with the next adjacent disc, and a series of radial 85 grooves on the opposite surfaces of each disc extending from the outer edge of said cutaway portions to the edge of the disc. said grooves being formed in the discs at an angle to a line passed through their centers and in opposite directions on opposite sides of the discs,'whereby the grooves of adjacent discs will not coincide with each other.

4. A perforate structure comprising a plurality of exible plates arranged one on top of the other into surface-to-surface relation and having reg- 75 istering holes in their interiors and nely divided grooves on their surfaces extending from said holes to the outer edges of the plates, said grooves forming pores between the plates for conducting air or gas from said holes to their outer edges, means engaging the lower of said plates at the periphery thereof and means applying pressure` to the center of the upper plates whereby said' plates are flexed together in surface-to-surface relation.

5. A cream whipper comprising a hollow base member, a separable vessel mounted thereon, means within said base member for creating a forced draft of air, means within said vessel for receiving said air, and means having formed perforations of predetermined controlled size within said vessel for dividing the air thus received into a plurality or streams of finely divided bubbles, said perforations being of a size to prevent the liquid within said vessel from flowing there" through.

7.A cream whipper comprising a hollow basev member, an electrical motor and air pump conl nected thereto and housed within said base member, a vessel removably supported upon said base' member, an air chamber within the bottom of said vessel, removable air distributing plates upon the top of said air chamber, said plates having slots and grooves for distributing the air into minute jets.

8. A cream whipper comprising a hollow base member, means within said base member for creating a forced draft of air, a vessel removably mounted upon said base member, means within said vessel for dividing said air into minute streams of nely divided bubbles, said means comprising a plurality of separable members with passages formed therebetween breaking the draft of air into fine jets. said second-named means being removably mounted in said vessel, and means connecting said first-mentioned means and said vessel for ready separation, said second-named means being ofa nature to prevent the liquid within said vessel from owing therethrough.

9. A cream whipper comprising a hollow base member, means within said base member for creating a forced draft of air, a vessel removably mounted upon said base member, an air chamber within said vessel, said air chamber having closed bottom and side walls and having a top wall formed of perforate platesto divide the yair into fine jets, means connecting said plates to said air chamber and connecting said air chamber to said first-mentioned means.

10. A cream whipper comprising a hollow base member, means within said base member for creating a forced draft of air, a vessel removably mounted upon said base member, an air chamber within said vessel, said air chamber having closed bottom and side walls and having a top wall formed of perforate plates to divide the air into fine jets, means removably connecting said plates to said air chamber and serving as a conduitbetweensaidairchamberandsaidnrstmentioned means.

11. A cream whipper comprising a hollow base member. means within said base member for g creating a forced air draft. a vessel removably mounted upon said base member. said air chamber having closed bottom and side walls and having a top wall consisting of a plurality of plates. one of said plates having slots in4 communication with said air chamber and the other of said plates having grooves therein communicating with said slots and communicating with the edges of said plate, and means connecting said air chamber with said first-mentioned means.

i2. An aerating device comprising a container, a plate mounted above the bottom wall of the container and spaced therefrom to form a pressure chamber. said plate having a plurality of openings therein, discs overlying the several openings and having grooves formed on their surfaces for the distribution of gas from said pressure chamber in nely divided streams. means for supplying gas under pressure to said chamber, and means for attaching said discs to said plate to provide for the unitary removal of said plate and discs i3. An aerating device for a liquid comprising asourceofairorgasunderpressure,awallhav ing a plurality of openings therein. each said opening being closed by an aerating element including a plurality of separable members with passages formed therebetween constructed and arranged to introduce said air or gas into said liquid in minute streams of finely divided bubbles and to substantially prevent free passage of said liquid therethrough.

14. A perforate structure for aerating foodstuffs. such as the whipping of cream. adapted to be connected with a gas pressure source, comprisa plurality of plates detachably arranged in ace to surface contact and provided with ne -grooves etched on their surfaces forming channels of controlled limited size for permitting a now of gas to be forced between them in predetermined nnely divided streams, but adapted to substantially prevent the free now of liquid there- 15. An aerating device of the character described for the whipping of cream or the like- 50 comprising a container for holding the cream to be whipped. a source of air or gas under pressure,

a perforate structure associated with a wall of said container, said perforate structure compris- \ng a plurality of plates arranged in surface to 55 surface contact. and provided with a system of fine grooves on adjacent contacting faces through which a ilow of air or gas may be forced in preetermined nely divided streams of bubbles to uce a whipping action, said grooves being .o ormed of such iineness as to substantially pret thevback i'low of liquid therethrough under the normal pressure condition existing within said container.

10. Anlaerating device for a liquid comprising a source of air pressure, a plurality of plates arranged in surface to surface relation, each plate being provided with a system of finely divided grooves on the surface thereof, each groove formlim with the next adiacent plate channels not l 7 substantially greater in dimension than the respective individual groove, providing for a flow of air from said air source being forced between the plates and introduced into the liquid in minute streams of finely divided bubbles. and an u opening in thel interior of each plate providing for acuso? suchflowfromtheinteriorofthscomposite structure outward.

17. A perforate structure comprising a plurality of separable plates arranged in surface to surface contacting relation, each plate having a system of grooves provided on the surface thereofandforming withthenextadjacentpiatea system of pores. an opening passing through the interior of each plate to provide for air being forced between the plates inl finely divided streams from the interior outwardly. and means for detachably holding said plates firmly together in operative position. said meamjmaintaining the plates as a unitary assembly while providing for the separation thereof for cleaning and the like when not in use.

18. An aerating device for aerating foodstuffs and the like such as whipping cresm,`comprising a source of air pressure, acontainer for holding the material to be aerated, a perforate structure positioned adjacent the bottom of said container, said perforate structure comprising a plmality of plates having holes in their centers and a system of finely divided grooves on their surfaces. the plates being arranged in surface to surface relation with said grooves arranged to permit a iiow ofairfromsaidairsourcetobeforcedbetween the centrally located holes andthe outer edges of the plates in finely divided streams of minute bubbles adapted to effectively whip the cream and having insufiicient force to be carried through the cream. said grooves being adapted to substantially prevent free flow of liquid therethrough.

19. An aerating device for aerating foodstuffsand the like comprising a pressure means for supplying air under pressure to said pressure chamber, a perforate structure in communication with said pressure chamber. said perforate structure comprising a plurality of plates arranged in surface to surface contact and having holes in their centers and a system of radiating grooves on their surfaces extending in angularly spaced relation from saidholes to the outer edges of said plates, said grooves forming passages with the adjacent surface adapted to divide the air from said pressure chamber into a plurality of predetermined minute streams of controlled size adapted to produce finely divided bubbles when in contact witha liquid. and adapted to substantially prevent backiiow of the liquid therethrough.

2o. A perforate structure comprising a plurality of plates arranged in surface to surface relation and having registering openings in their interiors and finely divided grooves on their opposite surfaces extending in non-radial direction from said openings to the outer edges of the plates. each plate having two series of such grooves, one series on each of its opposite sides. the grooves of corresponding s'eries on all the plates being similarly arranged. and the grooves of opposite series on each of the plates being angulariy related.

21. An aerating device for liquid foodstuifs, such as for whipping cream, comprising a container for holding the liquid to be aerated. said container having a wall formed of a plurality of plates arranged in surface-surface contact provided with fine channels or the like on aille.-

cent faces. means for separably retaining said plates in assembled operative position and a source of air or gas under pressure associated with said wall, said wall providing for the intraduction of said air into the container in predetermined minute streams of lcontrolled lise adapted toproduce nnely divided bubbles, and adapted to substantially prevent baclrow of the liquid therethrough.

22. A perforate structure comprising a plu- 5 rality of plates' arranged in surface to surface contact, each plate having an opening in the interior thereof communicating with that of the next adjacent plate, and each having a portion of its lateral surface adjacent said opening cut l0 away to form a manifold chamber with the next adjacent plate, and a system of finely divided grooves extending on the surface thereof from the outer edge of said manifold to the outer edge of the plates, said grooves providing formed pas- 15 sages of predetermined controlled size adapted to substantially prevent passage of liquid therethrough.

23.*A perforate structure for introducing air or gas from a pressure source into a liquid comprising a. plurality of similarly shaped plates of progressively diminishing surface areas mounted one on top of the other, said plates each hav through said grooves.

RAWSON E. STARK.

CERTIFICATE or coRRcrIoN.

Patent No. 2.074.597.

March 23, 1937.

RAWSON E. STARK.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring 'correction as follows: l second column, lines 48 and 49, claim 8, strike but the words the draft of air into fine Jets";

be read with this correction there record of the case in the Patent 0 Page 3,

Signed and sealed this 25thday of May, A. D. 1937.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdsle breaking and that the said Letters Patent Should in that the same may conform to the ffice.

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

adapted toproduce nnely divided bubbles, and adapted to substantially prevent baclrow of the liquid therethrough.

22. A perforate structure comprising a plu- 5 rality of plates' arranged in surface to surface contact, each plate having an opening in the interior thereof communicating with that of the next adjacent plate, and each having a portion of its lateral surface adjacent said opening cut l0 away to form a manifold chamber with the next adjacent plate, and a system of finely divided grooves extending on the surface thereof from the outer edge of said manifold to the outer edge of the plates, said grooves providing formed pas- 15 sages of predetermined controlled size adapted to substantially prevent ge of liquid therethrough.

23.*A perforate structure for introducing air or gas from a pressure source into a liquid comprising a. plurality of similarly shaped plates of progressively diminishing surface areas mounted one on top of the other, said plates each hav through said grooves.

RAWSON E. STARK.

CERTIFICATE or coRRcrIoN.

Patent No. 2.074.597.

March 23, 1937.

RAWSON E. STARK.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring 'correction as follows: l second column, lines 48 and 49, claim 8, strike but the words the draft of air into fine Jets";

be read with this correction there record of the case in the Patent 0 Page 3,

Signed and sealed this 25thday of May, A. D. 1937.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdsle breaking and that the said Letters Patent Should in that the same may conform to the ffice.

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

